Open Furrows | new works by Liz Chilsen
ADDS DONNA
3252 West North Avenue Chicago
April 14th - May 26th, 2023
Opening Reception: Friday, April 14th, 6-9 PM
Artist Talk: Saturday, May 13th, 2:00 PM
Closing Reception: Friday, May 26th 6-9 PM
Gallery Hours: Friday 1:00 - 6:00 PM
Open Furrows - Driftless
The fecundity of an open furrow, the thin slice of earth that forms, and the potential for new growth.
For this exhibition I set out to create an experience of elements that form and inform my work: fire, air, family, soil, water, love, forgiveness, gratitude. Much of what is presented is work I’m in the midst of making; the flurry of engagement with multiplicities, and a feeling of working on the verge is part of it.
The drawings are recent; meditations on the sculptures, which are also quite recent. I set a regular/frequent, not-quite-yet-daily, practice of study, experiencing the three dimensions anew. The rubbings record my physical interaction with 300 year-old logs that form the house on my mother’s ancestral farm in Wisconsin. The sculptures are smoke-fired in small batches, fueled by materials gleaned from my collections - old newspapers, notes, and messages, seeds and branches. I conduct the firings in places meaningful to me and my family.
My ideas are honed in duality and multiplicity, and a deep interest in history and place has long been a part of my artistic practice.